Genshin Impact’s Razor is an enigma. Some Mondstadtians believe he was abandoned by his parents and subsequently adopted by a pack of wolves. Others reckon he is, himself, an ancient wolf spirit who has been reincarnated in human form. Like most things in life, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, although I’m personally not really invested in uncovering it – regardless of who or what he is, Razor is Genshin Impact’s best and brightest character.
Do you ever, while playing a game, temporarily put down your gamepad or mouse to send a text, or make a cup of coffee, or just get up to stretch your legs for a bit? If the answer is ‘Yes’ – which it absolutely should be – you’ll probably know that if you’re AFK for a couple of minutes, Razor will let you know he’s keeping watch until you’re back. He is, by definition, the absolute best boy in Mihoyo’s revered gacha game, and I reckon it’s ridiculous that he seldom gets the love he deserves.
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What do I mean by that? I’m glad you asked, if you did, which you probably didn’t. Earlier this week, it was announced that Mona is getting a cool new figure. For what it’s worth, Mona is great. She is not, however, Razor, nor are Ningguang, Klee, or any of the other Genshin characters who have received some form of physical merch representation over the last ten months or so. For some reason, everybody’s favourite wolfy boi is invisible in the eyes of his creators – Mihoyo, please, show your silver-haired, raw rabbit-eating, amazing-in-every-way son some love, for crying out loud.
It’s worth noting that the vast majority of Genshin’s characters are brilliant – after all, it’s a gacha game that’s designed to entice you into spending money on them, which you wouldn’t be arsed with unless they were worth paying for. Solid character writing is at the core of a successful gacha business model, and so wizards like Mona, diplomats like Ningguang, and fire-hurling demolitionists like Klee are all both great and deserving of proprietary merch. It feels a bit arbitrary that these are the main characters to have gotten that treatment so far, though. Sure, Mona is immensely popular, and Klee’s banner was big while it was on, but Ningguang’s forum presence is miniscule compared to the likes of Diluc, Jean, and Fischl. That’s not to mention the fact that Zhongli, Tartaglia, Ganyu, Hu Tao, and more are all right up the top of most up-to-date tier lists.
Razor is one of the only characters to have comfortably remained at A-rank or above since launch. Also, it’s worth remembering that he was one of the first characters you unlocked purely from playing through the main quest, as opposed to having to spend hundreds of dollars in an attempt to pull him. At some point between level 15 and 20, I think, you could venture out to Wolvendom and stumble across him, instigating his quest and giving you the opportunity to acquire him permanently. This is part of why I like him so much – when I only had people like Amber and Kaeya, being able to use someone as devastatingly powerful as Razor was a godsend. Plus, his status as lightning wolf man makes him pretty cool in general – I still think his Q attack is the best designed one in the game, both conceptually and aesthetically.
Basically, Razor should get like, an action figure, or something. Or an in-game event. Or an annual celebration like Pokemon did with Bidoof Day. Or a place in Smash Bros. – hey, maybe Razor is that final fighter Sakurai has been on about for the last few months. Imagine that! Sorry Master Chief, and Kratos, and whoever else wanted the highly coveted “A new challenger approaches” silhouette – the last spot is going to Razor because I said so.
In all seriousness, I do believe that Genshin should lean into its strengths to further cement its ubiquity in global gaming communities. It’s the first major Chinese gacha game to make it in the West, and while it continues to rake in cash, celebrating the characters who made its success possible in the first place can only go well for it in terms of ensuring its longevity. I know some of you like Diluc, and Zhongli, and Fischl, and Bennett – but still, almost a year after launch, I reckon Razor is by far Genshin Impact’s best written character. I mean, I don’t even like video game merch and I’d love a little wolf lad to put on my desk.
I hope some of you who will inevitably go on to purchase the existing merch are happy with what you get, and I know Razor could be way down your own list of Genshin faves – personally, though, I absolutely won’t be spending a single cent until everyone’s favourite wolf boy gets the statue he deserves.
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